Car phone mounts come in three main types: ones that hook onto an air vent, ones that clip onto the dashboard, and ones that stick to the windshield or dashboard with a suction cup. They all do the same job, keeping your phone where you can glance at navigation without holding it, but each one suits a different car. Here's how they compare and how to pick the right one for yours.
Quick comparison
- Air vent mount: best if your car has sturdy vent slats in a good viewing spot. Nothing touches the windshield or dashboard surface.
- Dashboard clip mount: best if your dashboard has an edge or ledge near your line of sight. Simple clip-on install with no adhesive.
- Suction cup mount: the most placement options, on the windshield or a smooth dashboard. Needs a clean, smooth surface, and windshield placement is restricted in some places.
Air vent mounts
A vent mount hooks onto one of the slats of your air vent, so the phone sits in the middle of the dash at about the height of the vents. Our air vent phone holder uses a metal hook that catches behind the slat and a knob that tightens it in place. Its spring-loaded cradle closes around the phone when you press it in, so you can mount it with one hand, and support feet hold the phone from below. It comes in carbon-look, brushed or textured finishes.
Good to know: it needs vent slats it can grip, so check that yours are firm and not round or slatless vents. With the heater or air conditioning on, air from that vent blows on the back of the phone, so you may want to close that one vent or angle it away.
Dashboard clip mounts
A dashboard clip mount grips the edge of the dashboard, often the ledge above the instrument cluster or the center screen. Our dashboard phone holder clips on without tools, and its ball-joint head rotates 360° for portrait or landscape. The stretchable clamp adjusts to standard-size phones.
Good to know: it needs a dashboard edge or ledge to grip, and dashboards vary a lot from car to car. Look at yours before ordering and picture where the clip would sit.
Suction cup mounts (windshield or dashboard)
A suction cup mount gives you the most freedom: you can put it on the windshield or on a smooth part of the dashboard. Our suction cup windshield and dashboard mount has an adjustable arm and head, so you can bring the screen to where you can see it at a glance, and side grips that hold the phone in the cradle. You can place and remove the phone with one hand.
Good to know: the suction cup needs a smooth, clean surface, so it won't hold on textured dashboards. Some states and countries limit where, or whether, a phone can be mounted on the windshield, so check the rules where you drive.
How to choose for your car
- Look where your eyes go. The best spot is close to your normal view of the road but never blocking it. Sit in the driver's seat and picture the phone in each possible spot.
- Check what your car has. Firm vent slats point to a vent mount; a ledge on the dash points to a clip mount; a smooth surface opens up the suction option.
- Think about who drives. If several people share the car, a mount that adjusts easily, like the suction mount's arm or the clip mount's rotating head, saves fiddling.
- Keep airbags clear. Never mount a phone on or in front of an airbag cover. Your car's manual shows where the airbags are.
Use any mount safely
A mount is there so you don't hold your phone, not so you can use it more. Set your route and start your music before you pull away, use voice commands or pull over for anything else, and follow your local hands-free laws.
Bundles and next steps
If you also want a place for your keys and phone at the seat gap, the Driver's Essentials Set pairs the dashboard holder with a seat gap filler. The Hands-Free Phone Set pairs it with a desktop stand for home. For holders at your desk, in the kitchen or in bed, read How to Prop Up Your Phone Hands-Free, or browse all our phone mounts and stands.